Keynotes

Parent Keynote

DESCRIPTION
Parents play an essential role, particularly in a gifted child’s early education years, and proper parenting is often a concern for families with gifted children. How can we know if we are doing the right things? The presenter, co-author of A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Children, will provide practical advice for parenting a gifted child. Topics of discussion will include fostering communication, developing discipline, improving motivation, managing stress, moderating perfectionism, and nurturing positive family relationships. Spanish translation available.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Dr. Amend is the co-author of two award-winning books: A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Children; and Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults: ADHD, Bipolar, OCD, Asperger’s, Depression, and Other Disorders. Dr. Amend has authored or co-authored a number of articles, book chapters, and columns about gifted children. Dr. Amend has served on the Board of Directors of Supporting Emotional Needs of Gifted (SENG), as the President of the Kentucky Association for Gifted Education (KAGE), and Chair for the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) Counseling Network.

Educator Keynote

Talent Denied and Talent Lost: Challenges and Compromises of Gifted Girls and Women

DESCRIPTION
This keynote will focus on the loss of talents of girls and women across the country and the globe, and the implications of that phenomenon on diminished creativity, leadership, innovation, and creative productivity. The keynote will conclude with a positive call to action on how educators and researchers can make a difference in helping girls and women to develop their talents.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Dr. Sally Reis is the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, a Board of Trustee Distinguished Professor, and a Teaching Fellow in Educational Psychology at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Reis was a public school teacher and administrator for 15 years, prior to her work at UConn. Dr. Reis has authored more than 250 articles, books, book chapters, monographs, and technical reports. Dr. Reis is a past-president of The National Association for Gifted Children.

Educator Keynote

The Other Goal of Gifted Education: Promoting Emotional Development And Social Responsibility through The Use Of Co-Cognitive Skills

DESCRIPTION
The overall goal of gifted education is to increase the world’s reservoir of creative and productive people; however, we also want to prepare young people to be committed to making the world a better place. This presentation will briefly review the conception of giftedness and the pedagogical approaches underlying the Schoolwide Enrichment Model, with an emphasis on a broadened view of human potential. The major focus will be on the ways we can prepare young people to develop an empathic value system and commitment to using their talents to make beneficial changes in society. The relationship between creativity and task commitment, combined with the primary executive functions necessary for carrying out socially active projects, will be illustrated through case studies that highlight the co-cognitive characteristics necessary for social change and creative productivity.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Dr. Joseph Renzulli is a leader and pioneer in gifted education and applying the pedagogy of gifted education teaching strategies to all students. The American Psychological Association named him among the 25 most influential psychologists in the world. He received the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Award for Innovation in Education, considered by many to be “the Nobel” for educators and was a consultant to the White House Task Force on Education of the Gifted and Talented.